Drainage-excavator.



M. G. BUNNELL.

DRAINAGE EXCAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1'. 1909.

Patented Jan; 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

VV/TNESSES rm: COLUMBIA X'LANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c

M. G. BUNNELL. DRAINAGE EXCAVATOR. APPLICATION man JULY 1. 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A/EYS Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

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MORTON G. BUNNELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERICK C.AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAINAGE-EXQAVATOR.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.25, 1916.

Application filed July 1, 1909. Serial No. 505,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MO ON G. BUNNL'LL,

a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cookcounty, Illi-J nois, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvementin Drainage-Excavators.

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to excavators of that type in which a runway uponwhich a bucket travels back and forth serves as a templet or shapingdevice for determining the cross sectional contour of the ditch. Priorto my invention, excavators of this kind have been so constructed thatthe wheels or tractors or other supporting devices traveled at each sideof the ditch, or entirely at one side thereof. Other arrangements havebeen employed, but Without the results which I de-. sire to attain. Withmy improved construction, the runway overhangs the rear of theexcavator, and the wheels or tractors or other supporting devices arearranged to travel ahead of the said runway. With this arrangement, theditch is formed behind the excavator, and the latter travels on theground which is afterward taken up by the bucket. In this way theexcavator is adapted to form a wide and more or less shallow ditch thesides of which slope gently and gradually downward from the outer edgesthereof to about the center of the excavation. The excavated dirt isdumped at opposite sides of the ditch, and the bucket smooths the innersides or faces of the two. spoil banks, causing the same to form upwardcontinuations of the sides of the excavation. Thus with a relativelyshallow excavationa ditch of considerable capacity is made, as

the excavation may be of suliicient width to give a good volume of dirtat each side thereof, whereby sloping banks are formed at each side ofsufi'icient height and distance apart at their crests to insure a largecarry. ing capacity for the ditch. In fact the ditch is nearly as wideas the runway is long, and the entire cross sectional contourthereof isdetermined by the runway. With my improved arrangement, therefore, alarge ditch can be made, capable of holding a large vol' ume of water,without going very deep in the ground. The said runway is adapted to beraised above ground, and the construction is such that the entireweightthereof does not fall on the lifting mechanism, as the outer hingedsections of the runway are carried on the frame of the excavator, andonly a portion of the weight thereof is sustained by the lifting deviceswhen the middle sec tion is lifted out of the ground. The runway,although of considerable length, is thus manipulated with more case andfacility than heretofore. The nature and advantages of my invention,will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a rear elevation of anexcavator embodying the principles of my invention, showing the runwayin raised position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the excavator shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the runway shown inFig. 1. Fig. 4L is an enlarged detail view of one of the rack and piniondevices for raising and lowering the frame to the lower end of which thecentral section of the runway is rigidly attached.

As thus illustrated, my invention com prises a body frame A supported bywheels or tractors or other devices B, two at each side thereof, and twoin the middle, whereby the excavator is adapted to travel forward. Atits front end there is a boiler C and an engine D for operating thedrums E whereby the excavating mechanism is operated. The saidexcavating mechanism comprises a runway F disposed transversely of theditch, and overhanging the rear end of the excavator, being composed ofa middle section f and outer sections 7'. The said runway is supportedupon the lower end of a frame G, provided at each side thereof withvertical racks g, which frame is adapted to slide up and down in thestationary frame H, which latter overhangs the rear end of the excavatonThe said stationary frame is provided at each side thereof with a shaftupon which are mounted pinions which latter engage the racks 9. Theseshafts are operated by sprocket chain connections 9 which latter areconnected at their lower ends with horizontal and longitudinallyextending shafts 91*. These shafts r extend forward to the drivingmechanism operated by the engine, and have any suit able connectiontherewith, whereby the power of the engine is used for raising andlowering the runway. The outer sections f of the runway have their innerends pivotally connected at i r with the outer ends of the middlesection of the runway, and the vsaio outer sections are supported inpositicn by cables I, in'the manner shown.

These cableshave their outer ends attached that s to say,

to the runway sections at 2 at points some distance back from'the outerends of the runway-and the said cables are then brought upward and overthe sheaves c" on the upper end of the stationary frame The said cablesare then crossed and brought. downward around the sheaves h on thestationary frame, and'the lower'ends.

of said cables'are then attached in any suitable manner to the middlesection. f of thesection of the runway is raised, the outer sectionsmovedownward slightly, as shown in Fig. 1. In the main, however, as stated,

the weight of the outer sections of the run way is employed tocounterbalance the middle section, whereby less power is required toraise and lower the runway. The mechanlsm on the said runway foraccomplishing I the excavating operation may be of any suitable known orapproved character. As shown, the said mechanism consists of a bucket Jwhich travelsback and forth thereon, through the medium'of rollers orwheels j that engage in the channels of the runway,

as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. As shown, this bucket is of the two-waytypethat is to say, it is adapted to load by movement in eitherdirection, so that the dirt is dumped first at oneside of theditch andthen at the other. The said bucket is operated by cables 7" arranged totravel around sheaves 3' at the outer ends of the runway, andto connectfinally with the power operated drum mechanism E, of any suitable form,at the front of'the excavator. The

bucket may be of any suitable character,

' and as shown is of the well known type in which the scoop-likestructure has a mouth at each end thereof, and a cutting lip J for eachmouth. The wall J is movable in the bucket, from one end thereof to theother, and serves to expel the load when the dumping position isreached. The means J for operating said wall, at opposite ends of therunway, may be of any suitable character.

By referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the wheels or tractors orother supporting devices are'arranged to travel ahead of the runway, andupon the ground which is afterward. taken up by the bucket. Theoutermost wheels or tractorsB travel upon theouter edges of the dirtthat is displaced by the bucket,that is to say,upon the outer edges ofthe dirt to be excavated. The runway, it will be seen, is flaring inshape, outer ends being adapted to' form a ditch with gently slopingsides or banks. The middle; section of the runway is the only portionthat really enters the ground, and it is so shaped that it makes only ashallow excavation. The entire runwa'yis adapted to serve, as a templetfor determining the cross sectional contour of the ditch. The ditch isshallow but :very wide, and the banks thereof slope gently downward fromthe crestof one spoil bank X to the crest of the other spoil bank X,which latter are of some height above the groundline Y. It

.will be seen, therefore, that the excavation is very shallow, and thatmore of the ditchis above the ground line than below. Thus, a largeditch of ample carrying capacity is made without going very deep. in theground.

This is of considerable advantage, as I. find. in many cases it 1sdesirable to for-ma ditch of large capacity without extending theexcavation very deep intotheground. Furthermore, and with a runway ofthe character shown, the excavator is adapted to work in sandy or loosesoil, as the banks of the ditch are sloping and not liable to caveinafter being formed. As stated, though, the chief advantage of my presentimprovement isthe capability of the excavator of produc-- ing a largeditch without the necessity of going very deep into the ground. 1

h The bucket J is preferably provided with a cutter j for operating onthe face .or end wall X of the excavation. See Fig. 8. This enables therunway to move down to the re-v quired depth before moving forward, assaid cutter extendsoutside of the runwaythat is, beyond the'side of thelatter. The cutter J in other words, maintains a clearance betw-eentherunway and the breast of the excavation, thereby permitting; the runwayand bucket to sink gradually into the ground.

I do not limit myself to the eXact construction shown and described-What I claim as my invention is: V 1. In an excavator, a runwayconsisting of middle and outer sections, means for raisa mg and loweringthe middle section, a frame above the middle section, means for imposeing some of the weight of the outer sections on the said frame, byconnections extending over the said frame and down to the middlesections, whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fall on theraisingand low- 1 ering means, the said outer sections tending tocounterbalance the said middle section.

2. In an excavator, a runway consisting of inner and outer sections,means for raising and lowering the inner section, a body frame, meansfor imposing some of the weight of the outer section on the body frame,by causing the outer section to counterbalance the inner section,whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fallon the raising andlo-wering means, and excavating means adapted totravel on said runway.

3. In an excavator, a body, means for supporting the body entirely inadvance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch inrear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body,having bodily up and down adjustment, means for holding the runwayagainst displacement, a bucket mounted on said runway, movable thereonfrom one side of the ditch to the other, a cutter operating on thebreast of the excavation, directly below the rear end of said body,means for operating said bucket in one direction, means for returningthe bucket in the opposite direction, along the same path, said runwaybeing adapted to form a ditch with sloping sides, and means for causingsaid bucket to discharge on to the ground at the side of the ditch.

4. In an excavator, a body, means for supporting the body entirely inadvance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch inrear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body,having vertical adjustment, means for holding the runway againstdisplacement, cavating means on said runway, adapted to carry the dirtfrom one side of the ditch to the other, by traveling entirely acrossthe ditch, a. cutter operating on the breast of the excavation, directlybelow the rear end of said body, said runway being adapted to form aditch with sloping sides, and said excavating means discharging on tothe ground at the side of the ditch.

5. In an excavator, a runway consisting of middle and outer sections,means for raising and lowering the middle section, a frame above themiddle section, means for imposing some of the weight of the outersections on the said frame, by connections extending over the said frameand down to the middle sections, whereby the entire weight of the runwaydoes not fall on the raising and lowering means, the said outer sectionstending to counterbalance the said middle section, said raising andlowering means comprising a sliding frame on which the runway iscarried.

6. In an excavator, a runway consisting of inner and outer sections,means for raising and lowering the inner section, a body frame, meansfor imposing some of the weight of the outer section on the body frame,by causing the outer section to counterbalance the inner section,whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fall on the raising andlowering means, and excavating means adapted to travel on said runway,said raising and lowering means comprising a slidingframe on which therunway is carried. 1

7. In an excavator, a body, means for sup porting the body entirely inadvance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch inrear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body,having bodily up and down adjustment, means for holding the runwayagainst displacement, a bucket movable back and forth on said runway,from one side of the ditch to the other, said bucket having a mouth ateach end thereof, means for operating said bucket, said runway beingadapted to form a ditch with sloping sides, means for causing saidbucketto discharge on to the round at the side of the ditch, and means"or causing a discharge at the other side of said ditch, which saidbucket forms a spoil bank at both sides of the ditch, said bucketoperating to slope and smooth the face of each spoil bank to provide aditch of greater width than depth.

8. In an excavator, a body, means for sup porting the body entirely inadvance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch inrear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body,having vertical adjustment, means for holding the runway againstdisplacement, eXcaVating means on said runway, serving to carry the dirtfrom each side of the ditch to the other, said runway being adapted toform a ditch with sloping sides, said excavating means discharging on tothe ground at the side of the ditch, and means for causing a dischargeat the other side of said ditch, whereby said bucket forms a spoil bankat both sides of the ditch, said bucket operating to slope and smooththe face of each spoil bank to provide a ditch of greater width thandepth.

9. In an excavator, a runway consisting of middle and outer sections,means for raising and lowering the middle section, a frame above themiddle section, means for imposing some'of the weight of the outersections on the said frame, by connections extending over the said frameand down to the middle sections, whereby the entire weight of the runwaydoes not fall on the raising and lowering means, the said outer sectionstending,

to counterbalance the said middle section, said raising and loweringmeans operating to change the angle of said outer sections when therunway is raised and lowered.

10. In an excavator, a runway consisting of inner and outer sections,means for raising and lowering the inner section, a body frame,mechanism for imposing some of the weight of the outer section on thebody frame, by causing the outer section to counterbalance the innersection, whereby the entire weight ofthe runway does not fall Signed byme at Chicago, Illinois, this on the raising and lowering means, and eX-18th day of June 1909. cavating' means adapted to travel on said MORTONG. BUNNELL.

runway, said mechanism operating to Witnesses: change the angle of saidouter 'sectlons when WILLIAM ARIs, the runway 1s ralsed and lowered. E.H. CLEGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingfche Commissioner of Yatents,

' Washington, 0.

